Rand Paul is not a perfect neighbor, says community developer

[Zorro]

Source: USA Today

The history between U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and his neighbor, who is accused of attacking him, is filled with years of angst and petty arguments over misplaced lawn trimmings and branches, the neighborhood's developer said.

"I think this is something that has been festering," said Jim Skaggs, the developer of the Rivergreen gated community in Bowling Green, where the two men live. "I wanted to build a place where everyone could get along, but I guess that's just impossible."

Paul suffered five broken ribs and lacerations on his lungs after his neighbor, 59-year-old retired doctor Rene Boucher, allegedly tackled the politician last week, according to an arrest warrant obtained by the Courier Journal.

Kentucky State Police charged Boucher with fourth-degree assault, which is usually reserved for incidents that result in minor injuries. If federal charges are added, Boucher could potentially face 10 years in prison for physically attacking a politician.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/11/07/rand-paul-not-perfect-neighbor-says-community-developer/841622001/

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"Not a perfect neighbor" is the polite way of saying he's the asshole of the neighborhood.

[Siwsan]

1. Why would someone with a strong sense of 'property rights' move to a HOA development?

That just seems like an incredibly passive/aggressive decision.

[Zorro]

2. Probably because he's a peckerhead

[Siwsan]

4. Good point!

[SergeStorms]

6. And why would a good American like Paul....

buy a place next door to one of "those French surrender monkeys"?

You know how these hyper-patrioitic, super-Americans despise the French. Paul should have built a "freedom wall" between their properties to keep the riff-raff out.

[ehrnst]

3. BINGO. A Libertarian giving the finger to the HOA....(nt)

[DeminPennswoods]

5. Exactly,

but stupid to move into a planned community with an HOA in the first place.

[brush]

30. HOAs are not all bad, depends on where you live.

[Fla Dem]

7. I know a lot of people hate HOAs, but then why move into a

community with HOA regulations? Why should their positions supersede the othe owners?

[Fresh_Start]

16. The normal reason is that you want the HOA neighborhood amenities

but still want to be a selfish bastard

[Yavin4]

19. "you want the HOA neighborhood amenities but still want to be a selfish bastard"

Congrats on writing the perfect definition of a Libertarian Republican!

[skypilot]

21. An honest question.

What are some of the amenities? When I think of HOAs I think of lots and lots of rules, but what are the amenities that people get in return?

[FlaGranny]

22. I live in an HOA

and I can tell you the reasons. HOAs are the best kept neighborhoods you can find because of the rules and regulations. You won't find junk cars parked in front of the homes or rundown, unkempt yards. When you drive into one you think to yourself - "this is the kind of neighborhood I want to live in." There is always some a-hole though, who moves in, signs all the papers that pledge to follow the rules and then proceed to try to break every one. They think the rules don't apply to them.

When I was younger I never would have lived in an HOA. Now, pushing 80, I like it.

[skypilot]

24. But what are the amenities other than...

...the aesthetic pleasures of the neighborhood that result from following the rules? I live in a wonderful neighborhood that doesn't have junk cars and unkempt yards, etc. and I don't belong to an HOA.

[Fresh_Start]

27. My HOA has a swimming pool complex with multiple pools...

maintains lifeguards at the swimming pools
sponsors a swim team which means that neighborhood families meet regularly and work together
holds neighborhood social events like memorial day barbeque...
has a small playground..

sponsors halloween refreshment stands for parents including bonfire
gives out the glowy things for children to wear while trick or treating

[skypilot]

34. Thanks.

Can't say that I have a swimming pool where I live.

[brush]

33. Most prefer what you have. I had that in NY but moved to Las Vegas and now welcome my HOA

Without it you can get people working on cars in the driveway, cars on blocks in front of houses, unkempt lawns, people renting out rooms to who knows who, big commercial trucks parked on the streets, people trying to run unlicensed day cares to make their mortgage payment — people try to get away with all kinds of sketchy stuff, even prostitution, without regard to quality of life for their neighbors.

[skypilot]

35. Thanks for your response.

*

[OriginalGeek]

37. we don't have a pool

(because probably 97% of the houses here have their own) but our HOA does maintain miles of bike/jogging trails, several parks and playgrounds throughout the area, a community center that can be rented for most anything and where they also hold events (Halloween/Christmas/other holiday things) and I'm sure other things but we have only been here a few months so not sure about everything.

I had an unfavorable opinion of HOAs on principle but I inherited this house from my Grandpa and it's much nicer than our old house so we sold the old one and moved in. HOA life does take some getting used to - I was definitely a touch more lax about how often I mowed the lawn at the old house and trash can rules here were a bit much at first - but the dues are pretty cheap here and it's not so hard to maintain it. The neighborhood is beautiful with a pretty diverse mix of residents.

Then again, my old neighborhood had all of the typical crap - bad lawns, junk cars, code enforcement trucks trawling through looking for violations that were mostly ignored and I actually didn't mind most of it. I figured folks had shit to do and maybe couldn't keep up with everything all the time so I lived and let live. My immediate neighbors were all decent people who never bothered us. The lady across the street had been there since before me (I lived there 30+ years) and she cried when we told her we were moving out.

But my Grandpa lived in this house for a little over 40 years and he was one of the first to build here (He bought the place when no houses were built yet) and most of his neighbors have welcomed us warmly so I have a built-in nice community. I'll just be glad when we finish all our remodeling and get things settled so I can start returning all the neighborliness.

[FlaGranny]

38. You're very lucky

to live in a place like that without an HOA, but you never know when a neighbor from hell will move in next to you and you won't be able to do anything about it.

Criminal background investigations are done before the buyer gets consent to purchase here and that keeps some problems from ever developing in the first place.

My HOA has a swimming pool, clubhouse, organized groups for golf, bowling, cards, shuffleboard, veterans, etc., etc.

For some people HOAs are good. If you have an independent streak and want to paint your house orange and purple, it's best to stay away from HOAs.

[Ilsa]

44. No one is saying that non-HOA neighborhoods

will necessarily get eyesore problems. But the HOA provides a legal means to address issues that ruin property values.

I have lived in good middle class neighborhoods. But sometimes a renter or someone who has little pride moves in and doesn't take care of their property, or the landlord doesn't. They let yards go to hell, build sandboxes in front yards, leave out broken toys (kids' or adults's), let paint flake, leave garbage cans out front 24/7, etc., and then the whole area looks trashed out. HOAs provide remedies.

I am living in an HOA community. I follow the rules because they are for my good and the good of the community. Sounds a little socialistic, doesn't it? I use the pool here in the community rather than build one in the backyard or drive to a public pool in the county. Other folks use the tennis courts, playground, etc.

[not fooled]

8. It is telling

that a puke politician who has a history of contrariness in the performance of his elected office gets embroiled in a dispute that he is unable to resolve peaceably.

And I'm not excusing the behavior of his neighbor, just pointing out that it's suggestive that Paul gets involved in something like this.

[mpcamb]

9. Still, and I'm no Rand P apologist, an anesthesiologist who acts out violently is a likely abusing

drugs.
There's ~ a 10% abuse hx in people in that field. That's the reported number.
I'm probably a fool for saying this but it's accurate.

[Nitram]

12. Objection! Pure speculation. There is no evidence the man was a drug abuser.

You're getting way ahead of the story.

[mpcamb]

15. Yeah, you're right; it is speculation.

I did say 'likely', and I'd stick to that.
It's a line of work that has a high abuse rate. The '10% known and treated' figure came from an anesthesiologist at a conference for anesthetists I attended.
It's a field where you have the keys and the count on the meds.
I don't know how well it's acknowledged but it's there, for sure.

[Nitram]

40. True, but pure speculation can be dangerous, as the Fake News movement has amply demonstrated.

Probably better to wait for the facts. Many people these days take speculation as fact and run with it.

[mpcamb]

42. OK, sure, but given the situation, I'd look at that speculative area early if I had 5 broken ribs.

[Nitram]

43. Point well taken. But when you consider the target of that abuse, it may have been deserved.

I'm not a violent person, but I confess to feeling a bit of sympathy forsomeone who just couldn't take it anymore. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell, and Paul Ryan are smarmy, hypocritical, sneaky scumbags of the worst sort, who are putting the lives and livelihoods off millions of Americans in grave danger.

[mpcamb]

48. Amen to that.

[Ilsa]

45. It's a possibility. Maybe we'll learn more soon.

He was certainly wrong to attack his neighbor physically like this.

Rand Paul has a serious health problem now: pleural effusion. He may have needed a thoracotomy to drain the fluid from the pleural space so he can breath easier. If my neighbor attacked me and I was hurt this badly, I'd sue the hell out of him.

[Nasruddin]

10. 5 broken ribs

is your just desserts for not being a perfect neighbor?

There had better be one helluva story to justify that level of assault.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. There's Got To Be More To This Story

And, we've only heard one version so far.

I'm taking a "wait and see" position on this.

[Nitram]

13. I suspect it might be a combination of Paul being a bad neighbor (blowing clippings into his

neighbor's yard) and a bad politician (trying to repeal Obamacare).

[Old Vet]

23. There has to be, To inflict 5 broken ribs is a serious fucking ass kicking...

Unless the Dr fell on Rand.

[Ilsa]

46. It's 6 plus pleural effusion now.

Paul has fluid collecting in the pleural space, compressing a lung (or lungs). He may have needed a thoracotomy to drain the fluid, culture it, perhaps. He has probably been in a lot of pain. I'd sue the crap out of a neighbor who hurt me this badly.

[snooper2]

26. I called this days ago, he was blowing his lawn clippings across property line

Called It LOL

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/10029804386#post13


You don't mess with another man's well kept yard!

[dembotoz]

14. At least he is consistent.. asshole in the Senate asshole at home

[Paladin]

17. Rand Paul isn't a perfect ANYTHING.

If you move to a gated community, you'd better be prepared for community rules, as enforced by a home owners' association. The overwhelming majority of functioning adults are capable of this---but there's always a jerk or two in the neighborhood who feels compelled to make trouble. I've seen it time and again.

[Kaleva]

18. We shouldn't be apologists for physical assault here.

Defeat him in court or at the ballot box but physical violence should never be applauded.

[treestar]

20. True

Though Rand may have been merely the loser, i.e., willing to fight, just didn't get the best of the other guy.

[lunasun]

25. WTF?Rand had headphones on when the guy attacked him . i cant believe these Rand posts. Not a fan

but honestly every excuse to accept a violent attack

[ProfessorGAC]

28. Headphones?

Says who? Rand Paul, that's who!
We don't know that for sure.

[treestar]

39. I didn't know that about it

But enjoy your superiority.

[crosinski]

29. I agree. Let them have their day in court.

Not guilty until proven, and all that.

[Kaleva]

36. Every report I've read state that the neighbor allegedly attacked Paul

[stonecutter357]

32. I bet the Nabor was just standing his ground ..

[Bayard]

31. I was just amazed he was doing his own yard work

[Tatiana]

41. This is a crime of passion, not about lawn care or HOA rules (though I'm sure Paul is an a-hole).

I thought I read somewhere that this condition is actually worse than originally thought and he has 6 broken (displaced) ribs. Boucher might be charged with a felony due to the severity of Paul's injuries, which were originally thought to be minor.

I am wondering if Boucher and Paul had a relationship between themselves.

[Ilsa]

47. The pleural effusion from the broken ribs is also a problem.

The anesthesiologist would know. Pleural effusion is fluid collecting in the pleural space and compressing the lung. It's sscary and painful. Paul may have needed a thoracotomy to relieve the pressure. I'd sue someone for causing me this much pain, especially if the criminal charges amounted to nothing. Violence is not the answer.